From: Steve at ExoticRainforest.com (ExoticRainforest) on 2007.10.12 at 19:59:47(16468)
Go get 'em Ted! Your thought process is exactly like mine, you just wrote down at least the majority of the list floating around in my head.
I just received a nice note from Tricia Frank who I feel is giving her personal blessings to such an effort. It is just a matter of some of us taking the inititate and getting it done. Where? Right now that is not as important as the fact we are talking about doing it! But let's don't let these ideas get lost somewhere on the back burner.
My private mail box has lit up! At least a few people seem to believe I want to take the IAS show away from Miami. Believe me, I don't! I just want to add more events. But this idea seems to have some positive support around the country. I was delighted to see the post today that it was possible to get plants into California. That would make this effort much easier. Can someone out there who has access find out what the restrictions might be?
What if we consider doing something totally different, but similar, to the International Aroid Show and Sale. Something very much like what Ted proposed today. Since the Indonesians are nuts about Anthurium and are driving all of us nuts let's take advantage of their money and enthusiasm. How about producing something that might be called (this is only a suggestion) the International Anthurium and Aroid Conference sponsored by the International Aroid Society. If we consider doing one in St. Louis with Tom's blessings (if he'll bless it) we'd have a great draw with the Missouri Botanical Garden along with easy access from almost anywhere in the world. Yesterday and again today I my checked my last 100 website hits and of those over 80 were looking up Anthurium. Almost everyone of those read my article that Julius and Leland helped write on growing Anthurium! But the places they are visiting from are not all Indonesia. Right now I'm receiving up to 1,700 hits daily (average is about 1,200) and the majo
rity are for Anthurium. The hits are coming from all of the United States, Europe, Iran, Saudi Arabia and many places in the South Pacific as well as Indonesia and SE Asia. These people are begging to see and buy Anthurium, especially bird's nest forms. Right now Anthurium is hot!
If we try to do this in the late spring all you guys that sell should have time to get some birds nest forms ready to sell. I think we should push the (sorry, almost used a bad word there) out of inviting people from all over the world to come and attend as well as show. Announce it on every garden board on the net! Invite the Hawaiian growers. Invite anyone! But do the thing somewhat different from the Miami show and sale in we'll also have some conference speakers telling how to grow, and hybridize, Anthurium and all the other species and topics Ted mentioned. Either you have to be a member of IAS to attend any of these conferences or pay extra. Obviosly, the goal is to increase membership!
Get Tom to show off his birds nest Anthurium collection and get MOBOT to back it. Bring up Eduardo. Bring Joep. Bring whoever we can that knows about Anthurium and will share their knowledge. The garden will make money from the ticket sales, IAS will make money from booth sales, increased membership and a cut of the plant sales, and sellers will just make money. Especially if we can get the Asians to come and spend some of their cash. You can charge for each seminar or just use it to increase membership!! Sell seeds! (But not 10,000 seeds at a time!) Take advantage of the current hype. And of course, since the conference includes all aroids, not just Anthurium, we can still show off any aroid!
Some aroid sellers have been selling a few Anthurium on eBay that will go for well over $600 to $700 each! I saw several sell in the past few weeks for over $500 each! Talk about an auction! These people ask me all the time if they can come and buy my plants. So let's give them a "plant sale" to come to! And let's push them to become members of IAS. And yes, I know the Indonesian Anthurium fit could end suddenly. But let's grab a chunk before it has time!
Any ideas? I've had some success in helping to promote and sponsor conferences in other fields. One I was a co-producer of in Miami brought in 20,000 paid guests for several years. The fire marshalls almost shut us down because we over sold the Coconut Grove Exhibition Center in Miami. I'll donate my time. How about the rest of you?
Steve Lucas
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